Michael Foster, a volunteer at Longwood, provided this photograph of workers atop Longwood’s signature dome. The first white coat of the silicone will be covered with another coat that matches the dome’s red color. (Submitted)

Ray Barbo applies the silicone onto one of the lower level roofs of historic structure. (Ben Hillyer / The Natchez Democrat)

Surrounded by the decorative details that make Longwood one of the country’s most unique houses, Ray Barbo, at left, applies the silicone onto one of the lower level roofs of historic structure. At right, At left, Jimmy Knighton and Ray Barbo work on the roof. (Ben Hillyer / The Natchez Democrat)

At left, Jimmy Knighton and Ray Barbo from Gulf Coast Environmental Services apply a coat of silicone onto the metal roofs of Longwood. The coating allows historic roofs on landmark buildings, like Longwood, to be waterproofed without disturbing the existing roofing. Most recently, the silicone roof coating was used on the dome of Temple B’Nai Israel on Commerce Street in downtown Natchez. At left, Barbo and Knighton apply the coating on the lower roof of the building. (Ben Hillyer / The Natchez Democrat)